Mechanical toy



Oct. 16, 1928.

E; P. LEHMANN MECHANICAL TOY Filed Dec. 22, 1926 my a,

Patented Oct. 16, 1928.

UNITED STATES ERNST PAUL LEHMKNN, OF BRANDENBURG-ON-THE-KAVEL, GERMANY.

uncimmoar. TOY.

Application filed December 22, 1926, Serial No. 158,470, and in Germany February 26, 1926.

Attempts to produce toys in the form of human or animal figures capable of running Kuite alone have hitherto proved fruitless.

prop or support has always had to be fitted either in front of the figure or behind it, in the form for example of a vehicle, whereby the direction of running was always kept in a straight line by the uniform setting down of the feet.

Now the present invention obtains the circular movement which is always desirable for purposes of exhibition in shops where space is limited, by arranging one-sided supporting rods which lead away from the figare and make a certain angle with one another, and preferably also by causing the figure to lean inwards slightly, so that it runs, as an experiment immediately shows, not in a straight line but in a circle round the ends of the lateral supporting rods fixed to it; forimagine simply a vertical plane passing from front to back through the walking figure, then this figure, if it were connected 1n the usual manner with a wheeled article arranged in a straight line in front of it, that is, likewise in this plane, would advance in a straight line. This is what happens in the case of many known walking toys.

If however suitable articles, as in my invention, are arranged to one side of this plane, so that the central plane between these articles makes a certain angle with the firstmentioned plane, the articles exert a lateral pull upon the figure, so that it progresses not straight forward in the first plane but in a direction which lies between the two planes. Now since these two planes also revolve with the figure the resultant of all the forces acting on the figure give rise to a circular movement. In order to render this expedient of employing rods for the purpose of supporting the toy less noticeable, the rods may for example be constructed as rigid dog leads, to the ends of which may be secured as a point of support in each case a dog apparently pulling away. This gives rise to the amusing impression that the figure is pulling the dogs along by the leads in spiteof their resistance.

Another construction of the supporting rods is also permissible even if the only object is to obtain the circular motion, which is novel for a figure that sets down its legs correctly, by means of the one-sided arrangement thereof, as seen in the direction at runmng.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in one constructional form.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan showing the principle upon which the movement of the toy according to the present invention is based;

Figure 2 shows the toy in elevation; Figures 3 and 4 show by way of exam le one nown construction of driving mec anlsm for the toy, Figure 3 showing it in elevation, partly in section, seen from the front, and Figure 4; showing some details seen from the side.

Here, 1 is the human figure, and 2 and 3 the supporting rods in the form of dog leads, which touch the ground at t and 5, where the dogs are attached.

A is a vertical plane passing through the figure 1, and extending straight forwards and backwards. In this plane there may first be imagined, resting on the ground, a rollable wheel B, which is connected with the hands of the figure by rods C, C. The figure will then move forward in the plane A, A. Now let us imagine that laterally of the plane A, A on the ground, weights or the like 4 and 5, corresponding to the dogs shown in Figures 1 and 2 are connected by the rods 2, 3 with the hands of the figure, and the wheel B, with the rods C, C, is removed. Then the bodies 4 and 5 will exert through the rods 2 and 3 a lateral pull on the figure 1, somewhat in the direction of a plane D, D'intermediate between the two articles 4 and 5. The result of this one-sided retarding action is that the figure 1 executes a substantially circular movement or planetary movement owing to the influenceof the tangential force A, A and of the centripetal force D, D.

In the interior of the figure there may be fitted any known clockwork or spring mechanism to effect the movement of the figure.

The legs 17 and 22 are mounted upon a common pivot pin 6 passing centrally through the lower part of the body, or through the blouse or garment represented as covering the body, at a oint near its lower edge, thus permitting the egs to swing freely to and fro.

A stem 7 with a thumb knob 8 on its outer end has its inner end operativel engaged with a winding device for a flat spiral spring contained in a casing 9 secured within the body of the figure. This spring acts as a motor actuating a gear 10 meshing with 0. 111 01; 11 fixed. on a p le 12 home an:

posed cranks 13 and 14 at its opposite ends and revoluble in the clockwork frame composed of elements 15 and 16 fixed in the body of the figure and carrying the spring casing} he leg 17 is formed with an extension 18 reaching from its outer side into the body and contains an appropriate aperture to rnceive the crank 13.

A similar extension 22, formed on the leg 23, is engaged in a like manner by the crank 14, thus actuating the legs alternately in opposite directions, the shape of the apertures eing such as to produce a movement of the legs closely resembling a natural walking movement.

Fast on the spindle 12 is mounted a gear 24 driving a pinion 25 fixed on a spindle 26 and fast upon'the spindle 26 is mounted a gear 27 driving a pinion 28 which in its turn is mounted fast on another spindle 29 carrying a fan 30, which acts as a regulator to restrain the speed within reasonable limits.

This known driving mechanism is only given by way of example, and any desired driving mechanism that is usual in such toys may be substituted. The oblique position of the figure that is desirable for the attainment of a clrcular movement can easily be obtained by making the leg on the same side as the articles 4 and 5 a very little shorter than the other leg.

A further feature of the-invention consists in making the supporting rods detachable notwithstanding the rigidity, which they are required to have, so as to obviate the toy taking up as much space when packed as it does when in use. The rods are preferably secured in the hollow hands of the figure. This may be effected for example, so as to obviate undesirable twisting in' the case of round wire, by using wire of an elongated cross section for the supporting rods and providing, in the .same side of a vertical hand of the figure, a locking spring adapted to snap into a notch in the rod. In the case of supporting rods made of round wire, the attachment to the hand may be effected by bending the wire backwards and forwards so as to give it suflicient hold to prevent it from dropping out of the hand prematurely or to prevent an undesirable twisting of the supporting rods.

What I claim is:

1. A walking toy figure, comprising clockwork mechanism for imparting walking movements to its legs, and supporting rods extending laterally at different angles to the lane extending through the figure in the direction in which the mechanism tends to cause it to advance, said supporting rods each being rigidly attached to the figure at one end and touching the ground at the other end so as to deflect the line of movement of the figure from a rectilinear into a substantially circular path.

2. A walking toy figure, comprising clockwork mechanism for imparting walking movements to its legs, two supporting rods extending laterally at different angles to the same side of a vertical plane extending through the figure in the direction in which the mechanism tends to cause it to advance, said supporting rods each being rigidly attached to the figure by one of its hands, and two movable articles, one rigidly attached to the free end of each rod, said articles being adapted to rest on the ground, so as to deflect the line of movement of the figure from a rectilinear into a substantially circular path.

3. A walking toy figure, comprising clockwork mechanism for imparting walking movements to its legs, and supporting rods extending laterally at different angles to the same side of a vertical plane extending through the figure in the direction in which the mechanism tends to cause it to advance, said supporting rods each being rigidly attached to the figure at one end and touchin the ground at the other end so as to de ect the line of movement of the figure from a rectilinear into a. substantially circular path, and the figure being slightly inclined towards the side to which the supporting rods extend.

4. A walking toy figure, comprising clockwork mechanism for imparting walking movements to its legs, two supporting rods extending laterally at different angles to the same side of a vertical plane extending through the figure in the direction in which the mechanism tends to cause it to advance, said supporting rods each being rigidly attached to the figure by one of its hands, and two movable articles, one rigidly attached to the free end of each rod, said articles being adapted to rest on the ground so as to deflect the line of movement of the figure from a rectilinear into a substantially circular path, and the figure being slightly inclined towards the side to WhlCh the supporting rods extend.

5. A walking toy figure, comprising clockwork mechanism for imparting walking movements to its legs, and supporting rods extending laterally at diflerent angles to the same side of a vertical plane extending through the figure in the direction in which the mechanism tends to cause it to advance, said supporting rods each being rigidly but detachably attached to the figure at one end and touching the ground at the other end so as to deflect the line of movement of the figure from a rectilinear into a substantially circular path.

6. A walking toy figure, comprising clockwork mechanism for imparting walking movements to its legs, two supporting rods extendin laterally at diflerent angles to the same si e of a Vertical plane extending through the 'figure in the direction in which the mechanism tends to cause it to advance, said supporting rods each being rigidly but detachably attached to the figure by one of its hands, and two movable articles, one rigidly attached to the free end of each rod, said articles being adapted to rest on the ground so as to deflect the line of movement of the figure from a rectilinear into a substantially circular path.

7. A walking toy figure, comprising clockwork mecha-nlsm for imparting walking movements to its legs, and supporting rods extending laterally at difierent angles to the same side of a vertical plane extending through the figure in the direction in which the mechanism tends to cause it to advance, said supporting rods each being rigidly but detachably attached to the figure at one end and touching the ground at the other end so as to deflect the line of movement of the figure from a rectilinear into a substantially circular path, and the figure being slightly inclined towards the side to which the supporting rods extend.

8. A walking toy figure, comprising clockwork mechanism for imparting walking movements to its legs, two supporting rods extending laterally at difierentangles to the same side of a vertica plane extending through the figure in the direction in which the mechanism tends to cause it to advance, said supporting rods each being rigidly but detachably attached to the figure by one of its hands, and two movable articles, one rigidly attached to the free end of each rod, said articles being adapted to rest on the ground soas to deflect the line of movement of the figure from a rectilinear into a substantially circular path, and the figure being slightly inclined towards the side to which the supporting rods extend.

9. A walking toy figure the feet of which come into direct contact with the groundwithout the interposition of Wheels, comprising clockwork mechanism for imparting walking movements to its legs, and support ing rods extending laterally at different angles to the same side of a vertical plane extending through the figure in the direction in which the mechanism tends to cause it to advance, said supporting rods each being rigidly attached to the figure at one end and touching the ground at the other end soas to deflect the line of movement of the figure from a rectilinear into a substantially circu- ERNST PAUL LEHMANN. 

